Mechanical and microstructural properties of iron tailings

Abstract

Due to the importance of their handling and the consequent negative impacts on humans and the environment as well as limited understanding of their mechanics, detailed investigations on the mechanical and microstructural properties of tailings are very crucial. Studying tailings is very important in the geotechnical engineering, engineering geology and geomechanics community worldwide because of the need for deeper and better understanding of their behaviour for safer design and construction of tailings dams. The following findings were obtained: (a) The grading characteristics are a function of the degree of sorting by sedimentation during discharge. (b) The fabrics of the iron tailings are heterogeneous and isotropic. (c) Chromium and copper are the significant heavy metals that can have adverse effects on human. (d) There are non-convergent curves and no unique normal compression lines. (e) The transitional mode of behaviour results from heterogeneous fabrics, which shows that the behaviour of iron tailings depends on the initial state. (f) The particles of iron tailings are angular, and the angularity of particle shapes increases slightly with vertical effective stresses. (g) The non-convergent behaviour cannot be attributed to preferential particle breakage.